watkins



R. ELLWOOD & W.- 0. WATKINS. ,WIRE STRETOHER.

No. 243,764. Patented July 5, 1881'.

V//////%// A x 4 i g m 2 MW Wit 1265565 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REUBEN ELLWOOD AND WILLIAM G. WATKINS, OF SYGAMORE, ILLINOIS,

' ASSIGNORS TO SAID ELLWOOD.

WlRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,764, dated July 5, 1881.

' Application filed March 6, 1880. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, REUBEN ELLWOOD and WILLIAM C. WATKINS, residing at Sycamore, in the county of De Kalb and State of Illinois, and citizens of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wire-Stretchers, of which the following is a full description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which 7 Figure l is a plan; Fig. 2, a side elevation; Fig. 3, an enlarged detail; Fig. 4, a section at line a of Fig. 3. Fig. is a section atline y of Fig. 1.

In making wire fences it is necessary to stretch the wires tight. So, also, they should be tightened if from any cause they become loose. The wires of such fences frequently break, and in such cases it is desirable that when repaired they be drawn tight.

We are aware that instruments somewhat similar to that herein shown and described are in use; and we do not claim the same, broadly, but only certain specific parts and combinations.

In the drawings, A'is a frame, in the arms a of which a roller, B, is supported.

0 is a crank to operate the roller 13.

- D is a chain, one end of which is connected with a hook, 1;, upon the frame A. It may be prevented from slipping off from this book by a pin, 0.

d is another hook upon an extension or arm, d, of the frame A, upon which the other end of the chain, or some link near the end, may be hooked to connect the instrument with a post of the fence.

e is a short rope, one end of which is connected with the roller B, and upon the other end is a device, E, for holding one end of a wire. This device E consists of two pieces, f and g. 'h is alip on f, and g is pivoted eccentrically to f and so that a wire can be placed between it and the lip h.

t is a lip on the piece g, so arranged that it can pass and lap over the lip h. k is ahandle on g.

F is a piece similar to g. It is cccentrically pivoted to the frame A, and so that'a wire can be held between it and a shoulder or projec-' tion, m, on the frame. a is a lip on the piece F, which can pass the shoulder m and p is a handle on F.

qis a ratchet on the crank O, and s is apawl pivoted to the frame A.

together.

In use, when stretching and tightening a fence-wire, the windlass and crank are to be connected to a post of the fence by passing the chain around such post and connecting the free end to the hook d. The wire I to be tightened is then placed in the griper E, between the lip h and the periphery of g, as shownin Fig. 4. Then 9 can be closed upon the wire, and, the lip t passing over the outer edge of the lip h, the wire cannot escape. By turning the crank G the wire will be tightened, and the more tightly it is drawn the more firmly will it be held in the griper E.

In mending broken wires one end of the wire is to be placed in the griper E and the other end in the griper F. Then by means of the windlass the two e'ndsof the wire can be brought together, and can then be united. If the two ends cannot be brought together, a short piece of wire can be joined to one end ofthc broken wire before drawing the two ends In repairing broken wires the instrument is not to be connected to a post of the fence.

It will be advisable to have that portion of the periphery of g which is likely to come in contact with the wire corrugated or roughened to prevent slipping. The part 131112113 be made in the same manner.

- Heretofore a wire-stretchin g apparatus has been constructed of a frame provided with a hook to engage a post or other support, and carrying a cranked windlass-or roller and a wire-clamp, the windlass or roller being provided with a rope, to the end of which is connected another wire-clampin g device, and therefore we do not broadly claim such combination.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

In a wire-stretching apparatus, the frame provided with the roller B, and hooks b and d on the opposite side, in combination with the chain D, attached to one of the hooks and adapted to engage the other, and the wireclampingdevice attachedto the frame between the two hooks, substantially as shown and described.

REUBEN ELVLWOOD. WILLIAM 000K WATKINS.

Witnesses:

DANIEL DUSTIN FRANK W. BLANOHARD. 

